June 4, 2026
You don't need 30 bottles to make a great home bar. You need six: vodka, gin, rye whisky, rum, tequila, and a bottle of triple sec or Cointreau. With those six bottles and basic mixers, you can make 80% of the cocktails anyone will ever ask for.
Vodka: Smirnoff or Absolut. Don't overspend — vodka is meant to be mixed. $25–30 range.
Gin: Beefeater or Tanqueray for classic gin and tonics. $28–35.
Rye Whisky: Crown Royal or Forty Creek. This is Alberta — rye and ginger is practically the provincial drink. $28–35.
Rum: Captain Morgan White and a bottle of Appleton or Havana Club dark. $25–30 each.
Tequila: Jose Cuervo Silver or Hornitos for margaritas. $28–35.
Triple Sec: Cointreau if you want quality, generic triple sec if you're on a budget. $15–30.
Tonic water, ginger ale, cola, soda water, orange juice, cranberry juice, and lime juice. Fresh limes are better than bottled lime juice — they're cheap and make a noticeable difference.
Angostura bitters (the small bottle lasts forever and elevates everything). Simple syrup (or just keep sugar on hand). Ice — always more than you think. A decent set of glasses: rocks glasses, highball glasses, and wine glasses.
A solid starter home bar runs about $200–250 for the spirits and $20–30 for mixers. Once stocked, individual cocktails cost $2–4 each — far less than a bar. Need everything delivered? Call us at (825) 450-3030 and we'll bring the whole list.